Day 2

Bryan and I went running for the second day in a row today.  Boo-yah. 

We've been saying we want to get back into going jogging for the past little while, but things were so busy with Bryan's fall classes and finals and graduation and having family in town that we finally decided to just wait to start until the fall semester was over.  Lame?  Perhaps.  Realistic?  Yes. 

Yesterday we went jogging for a whopping 10 minutes and then decided we were done.  Today we went for 15 minutes, but we were in the indoor track (because it was snowing--blah) and so it felt like three hours.  Especially since it was only the short track this morning.  (Alex knows what I mean.)  Sometimes they shut down the back part of the track (for... whatever) and make you run on the first 2/3rds of the track.  It's something of what I would imagine it would be like to run on a hamster wheel.  Anyway, my point is that our 15 minutes this morning is especially commendable since it was hot and stuffy and boring.

In other fitness news from my life, I am now back down to only one walking buddy.  :(  My BFF Sarah moved away (today officially--good luck driving to Wisconsin with two kids under 2 Sarah!  Haha.)  and now I'm down to just one walking buddy again.  When Sarah was gone over the summer last year I started walking with my friend Katie K.  Since both Katie K and Sarah have two kids each, one of them was bound to have something going on on any given day (sick kid, grocery store trip, etc.) and so it actually worked out pretty well for me to cheat and have two walking buddies.  So it'll be sad to just go back to one now that Sarah's gone.  On the other hand, I am SUPER grateful that Katie K. is still here.  Bryan and I were counting up all of our friends that moved out this past weekend and Katie K. and her family are truly some of our only friends left here.  I guess that's what happens when you live in a college town and everyone else graduates faster.  Haha.  Also, Katie K. is awesome to go walking with because she totally whips my booty into shape when she takes off at power walking speed with a double stroller.  To say that she is more fit than me would be a bit of an understatement.

Anyway, things are generally going well as I work toward my goal.  Not even a full pound of weight loss yet since I first announced my goal last week, but considering the fact that A.) we just had family in town that stuffed us with lots of yummy treats and B.) I'm just getting back into the swing of things, I'd say it's pretty good that I've even lost half a pound.

Oh, and for those of you who are curious (which is probably nobody) I'm back to using MyFitnessPal again.  (Any of you out there with an ipod have my great envy.)  Doing it on the laptop is not as convenient as I'd like.  And it's not as cool as my mother-in-law's Weight Watchers program (it looks pretty snazzy).  But it is free.  So for now I'll continue to use it.  Not that I've been within my calorie range yet.  But I think today I will be.  Wish me luck.

And best of luck to all of you who have decided to join me in my goal to be 135 lbs by my birthday, June 20, 2011!  You have no idea how much more committed I am now that I have company and it's way more fun to have you all along for the ride, even though none of us live near each other.  :)  Thanks so much for your support!  And best of luck as you work toward that goal too!

As of right now I'm aware of the following people joining me in my birthday goal:
Alex
Mom
Lisa


Anybody else want to join?  :)

I have a goal.

Yesterday was April 20, 2011.
I weighed 140 pounds.
I want to be at least 5 pounds lighter
By my birthday, June 20, 2011.

I've been getting tubby lately.
Worrying that people will think I'm pregnant.
(I'm not.)
Holding a pillow in front of my pudge when I sit on the couch.
So that nobody will see the bulge.

I eat too many cookies.
I don't eat enough fruits and veggies.
Or drink enough water.
Or exercise enough.

Now that Bryan's done with the semester
It's time to start running again.
I'll keep walking.
I'll drink water.
I'll track my calories.
(At least to some degree.)
And my exercise.

135.
Happy Birthday to me.
Soon.

After that?
I'll work toward 125.

I lost 20 pounds this week!

Yes, it is true...I finally had my precious baby boy and came home from the hospital about 20 pounds lighter. And while I won't brag about him (sorry, he really is just perfect!) I will share a few details of his birth. No, not the gross kind- you can keep reading :)

I had to be induced because our little Leo wasn't coming on his own and was getting pretty big. I am about 5'3 and semi-petite framed and wanted to have a vaginal birth and they were estimating his weight at about 9 lbs...he ended up being 9 lb 1 oz, 22 in long. Anywho, they started an IV and broke my water in the early morning; I labored all day and pushed for a little over an hour before he arrived, shortly before 9pm.

My doctor was concerned because he was a big baby that I wouldn't be able to push him out, however when all was said and done she commended my athleticism (knowing I am a runner and dancer) and said that it was probably the reason that I was able to do it. I have recovered really quickly too- sure I am tired, but who with a one-week-old isn't? My body has done really well and I was up and moving around almost immediately. I contribute this too to the fact that I was good and healthy and active before and during my pregnancy. So all in all I guess I just wanted to let all you Skinnies out there know that it is worth it- the exercise, the sweat, the healthy eating...it is worth it! Because when your body has to go through something traumatic, such as birth, it does so much better if you are in good shape!

Now I am counting down the days until my doctor gives me the go-ahead to start exercising again (not to mention until it gets warm enough to take my boy out!) I truly miss it and have never been more grateful for a healthy body than now. Sometimes our motivation comes out of wanting to look a certain way, which I understand and fall victim to as well, but try really hard this week to focus on making yourself feel good and healthy...no matter what size you are or what you look like!

A Dangerous New Years Resolution

So I made a New Year's resolution to be back to my pre-pregnancy weight...yikes. I haven't even had the baby yet and I am already thinking about losing my baby fat! And I have plenty of it...I have gained almost 40 pounds this pregnancy! Yes I know this is more than the traditional healthy recommendation of 25-35 pounds, but it is obviously what my body needed and so I am not that concerned about it...even if my doctor is!

Anywho, so I have this goal and it is kind of frustrating not to be able to get to work on it now while I have the motivation. And then I thought on my walk this morning that I am already working on it by keeping some sort of exercise in my daily routine- and while I will definitely have to step it up to lose the extra weight, it is nice to know that I am not going to have to completely overhaul my habits. I think that is what we should all strive for...not to just make changes to lose some weight but to intend to make a change for life.

So even though I am not to the point where I am going to up my fitness routine yet, I am making some life changes now; I am focusing on drinking lots of water and getting more veggies into my daily meals. What are you going to change this year? Not just for a set amount of time or until you are a certain size, but what life change are you going to commit to this year?

Wish me luck that I have the baby this week...he is so low now that sometimes when I walk in the mornings I think he might just fall out! (Wouldn't that be nice?) And get ready to get back to some intense exercise with me in a month or two! :)

Kathy Week 33: Still Learning to Run...

Kathy's Week 33 Stats:

Today's Weight: 128

Last Week's Weight: 131

Starting Weight: 151

Total Weight Loss: 23 pounds!!

Skinny friends, I am so excited to tell you about the progress I am making as a runner! Since I started my 6-week training program, I am seeing some real differences in my weight, endurance, and body shape.

First of all, a disclaimer: I can't run. I can do a slow huffy-puffy jog thing. It's faster than walking, at least most of the time. But you have to start somewhere, so I just want to be very clear that when I mention "running" in this post, I really mean something along the lines of a middle-aged nonrunner trying her best to imitate a runner on the track. Woot woot! Go Kathy! Atta girl!

I have to tell you that I was really discouraged about running on Monday this week. I ran about 1/4 of a lap, and then my right knee did this jabby-feeling click thing, and I couldn't run any more. I walked. And walked. Then I would try to sneak in just a little itty bit of running, but no dice. The knee figured out immediately what I was up to and did the jabby-clicky thing again.

I almost wrote a whiny I-can't-run post Monday afternoon, but I managed to restrain myself.

And then something amazing and wonderful and maybe miraculous happened on Wednesday morning! 

I ran a mile!!! 

I ran 4 laps without stopping!!! Then I walked a lap, then I ran a little more, walked a little more, finished up with running the last lap.

Yesterday morning it was even better...I ran a mile and a half!!! And then I walked one lap and ran the last lap. I never thought I could do this! I am really, truly, majorly excited about this. (Which you can probably guess, because I am already waaaaay over my exclamation point quota in this post.)

Here's something else I'm excited about:

I swam across Sparks Lake!!!

And then...I swam back to the other side. All together, I was swimming for 30 minutes straight, just under 1/2 mile. This was one of my 43 Things, and I was excited to accomplish one more of my summer goals.

Now, you have to understand that Sparks Lake is a relatively small lake. And a shallow lake. My husband was paddling the canoe right alongside in case I had a cramp and decided to drown, but it wasn't all that necessary, because to tell the truth, if I had had a problem, all I would have had to do is stand up!! The lake is really that shallow. Hahaha!! But I didn't stand up; I really did swim over and back. Yay Kathy! Atta girl!!

I am only one pound away from goal weight - what an amazing 7 months of healthier living here on The Skinny.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend - see you next Saturday!

Kathy Week 30: Check out the photos!

Kathy's Week 30 Stats:

Today's Weight: 134

Last Week's Weight: 134

Starting Weight: 151

Total Weight Loss: 17 pounds

No change since last Saturday, but considering how many servings of homemade ice cream I ate at last Saturday's family bar-be-que, I'm feeling pretty good about maintaining. I confess that by the time we were headed home from California, my weight had spiked back up to 137, so I actually am quite happy to be back at 134 again. 

Just for old time's sake, I thought today would be a good time to take a look at some old photos...

Remember me back at Week 1 in January 2010? At 151 pounds, you can see why I decided it was time to take action and become accountable here at The Skinny!

Three months later (March 2010), here I am at Week 14, 141 pounds. Good progress, but I still have a way to go!

And, just for the record, here I am this morning, Week 30, at 134 pounds. Hooray! Not only can I see the difference, but I feel so different now.

I am stronger, fitter, faster, leaner. I have more confidence in myself. My posture is soooo much better now that my muscles are getting stronger. 

I love love love this healthier, skinnier body!

And........I don't think you can quite see it in this morning's photos, but there's something else I'm lovin' about my body.......check it out!

Haha! Toenail polish may not seem like a big deal to most of the world, but my family could tell you that I never paint my nails. I'm not ready to go to fingernail polish yet, but I've had fun the last few weeks with painted toenails, even if (almost) no one else ever sees them. (I wear sturdy shoes all day long because I have to wear orthotics for my bad, flat feet.)

But there are times during the day when I think to myself, "I've got pretty toenails!" and it just makes me smile inside.

Getting a pedicure was one of the summer goals I made for myself on the list of "43 Things" I made back in June. I've already accomplished several of my 43 goals, and I have a few more in the works. Here's how I'm doing so far:

#1: Hike to the top of Mount St. Helens: Mark and I have permits to climb the volcano on August 24! I am so excited about this, and we are in serious training together.

#2: Backpack 50 miles with Mark: We are making plans for this, too, during the week of August 16. We figure the 50-miler will be part of our training for the assault on Mount St. Helens. Here's a photo of the two of us with our packs on a short shakedown hike we took a couple of weeks ago, to beautiful Mirror Lake near Mount Hood in Oregon.

#6: Get a pedicure: I haven't spent the money to go to a salon, but I'm sure having fun painting my own toenails. And every so often I talk Mark into giving me a foot rub. :)

#7: Lift weights every day for a month: DID IT! I followed the Prevention 4-week weight-lifting program that I mentioned here. The offer still stands - if you want a xerox copy of the plan, just send me an email at haynieoregon@gmail.com. The program isn't online, but I'll make a copy of the pages from my booklet, and send them to your snail mail address. 

Now we're going to begin a 6-week training program--something else I found in Prevention magazine--to get novice runners (like us) up to running 3 miles at a time. I can't wait!

#10: Go someplace in Oregon I've never been: DID IT! We visited Crater Lake on our way home from California last week. Oh, my. I've poo-poohed visiting Crater Lake for years--just another pretty face, I always said. You could see all there was to see in the photos on the calendars. Nope! Wrong! It's a gorgeous amazing spectacular place, and I am SOOO glad we went there. Can't wait to go again!

#13 Run a mile: Like I mentioned above, I should be able to say that I can do this by the end of the summer!

#16 Paint the upstairs doors: We live in a 100-year-old farmhouse, and the beautiful old wood doors need some TLC. (You can see a couple of them behind me in my weight-update photos.) I can't take any credit for it, but Mark has done a beautiful job of painting two of them, with more planned for later this summer. What a blessing to be married to a handyman!

#20 Watch the movie David gave me: DID IT! It was a fun movie--David gave me a DVD of Stranger than Fiction for my birthday in May, because he knows how much I love to write. If you haven't watched it yet, I recommend it for an evening of good, clean fun. In spite of the occasionally improbable-twists to the plot, it all comes together at the end. Made me smile, for sure.

#22 Camp on the beach: DID IT! We camped at Big Sur State Park our way home from California last week.

#23 Lose 5 more pounds (to 132): I'm getting there...

#24 & #25 Learn to use the calendar and 3 more applications on my iPod. DID IT! I'm sure I will continue to use this great tool for more things, but I am actually using the iPod calendar now instead of my faithful paper-pencil one I've used for years. It's great because Mark and I have our calendars synched, and we can both keep up on our family commitments this way. I'm also using myfitnesspal.com, weather, calculator, and the LDS Gospel Library.

#28 Send letters to distant grandchildren: DID IT! But of course I definitely want to keep doing this again. 

#41 Learn to take pictures of myself: DID IT?? Will I ever get good at this?? Hahahah - this photo isn't bad, but it's #19 out of 19 tries...and no, I am not posting any of the earlier ones. Can you say "cheesey"?

(Sorry this post is so long! If you read all this way, you are a faithful friend!!)

Have a great week, dear Skinny readers. I'd love it if you would post a comment, and I'll see you next Saturday on The Skinny!

Bone Strengthening BFFs...Calcium & Vitamin D

So most of us on here are women, right? (Men- keep reading...this still applies to you!) Do you know that at least half of us will have a bone fracture by the time we are 50 years old? Did you also know that there is something you can do today to prevent it? It is called Calcium my friends.

Osteoporosis is serious disease that affects many men and women...mostly women though. And although it is generally thought of as a disease of the elderly, it can strike at any age...especially if you have some of the risk factors such as:

Being female

Family history of osteoporosis or broken bones

Being small framed

Being overly thin

Low calcium and vitamin D intake

Excessive intake of protein, sodium, or caffeine

Inactive lifestyle

Smoking

Alcohol abuse

Now most of our bone mass has already been formed- about 85% of it by the time girls are 18. However there are still things you can do to protect yourself!

The easiest thing is to eat a diet rich in both calcium and vitamin D. Now calcium is what will really help your bones, however it can not be absorbed if the body does not have an adequate supply of vitamin D...so all that milk you chugged would be for nothing! (Unless it was fortified with Vitamin D...some are, so check your labels!) So think of calcium and vitamin D as BFFs that must go together. Here is some more on calcium and vitamin D...

Calcium

Calcium is most famous for giving our bones their strength, but did you know that they also keep our teeth healthy, prevent hemorrhages in our bloodstreams, and plays a crucial role in transferring light to chemical impulses in the retina?

Sources include:

milk

cottage cheese

cheddar, swiss, or american cheese

yogurt

orange juice

fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel

sesame seeds

soy

collard greens, cooked kale, broccoli

corn tortillas

cooked beans such as great northern, navy, or pinto

almonds & peanuts

dried fruit

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is most famous for helping us to absorb calcium but did you know that it also helps joint pain, relieves back pain, and can also prevent certain types of cancer? And did you know that your body naturally makes Vitamin D? Your body has to be exposed to sunlight though! Just about an hour a week is all it takes!

Sources include:

fish such as herring, catfish, oysters, salmon, trout, halibut, sardines, tuna, or mackerel

milk/soy milk

some cereals (check the label!)

eggs

mushrooms

sunlight

Now another easy thing to do to try and prevent osteoporosis is to do weight-bearing exercises such as running, jogging, dancing, walking, stair-climbing, hiking, and racquet sports. So pick one of those to try this week at least once!

Remember that osteoporosis is a silent disease- none of us can really feel our bones getting weaker! So make sure that no matter how old you are, today you commit to doing all you can to increase and maintain your bone density!

just a thought

i was preparing a lesson about sacrifice and liked the simple definition the book gave: giving up something good for something better. i like the idea of thinking about that when faced with unhealthy things that look delicious.

and, a question: what do you think about time-sensitive goals? as in, i'm going to lose 15 pounds by christmas. does putting a deadline on it freak you out or motivate you?

Making a list, checking it twice...

No, it is not Christmas. However one of my favorite things to do is check things off a list...I make lists for everything! I decided to capitalize on this and use this new format instead of trying to make myself write down things I eat in a food journal...which, while is a good idea and works for some people, it is like pulling teeth for me- I just hate it and can't make myself do it!

So I made this handy little chart for myself- some of the categories have more blocks than they really should, but it is so I aim high in those areas (yes, I know my own weaknesses very well!) Basically I check off a block for every serving of food I eat in the appropriate category. At the end of the week I give myself an overall grade in each category (just however I felt I did in each area, A to F...it is just a random, arbitrary grade) and then make a goal to raise my grade in at least one area the next week.

Click HERE to view the GoogleDocs Spreadsheet

For some reason this really works for me- it motivates me to get more fruits and veggies and water into my day and limit my snacks, candy, and dessert. I hang it on my fridge with a pen attached so it is really accessible. Maybe it will help some of you...try it out!

Have a great day!

Kathy Week 20: Dog Mountain

Update: We survived Dog Mountain! I've posted more photos on my blog.

Week 20 Stats:

Today's Weight: 139

Last Week's Weight: 140

Starting Weight: 151

Total Weight Loss: 12 pounds

Dog Mountain

This morning's post will be fairly short, because Mark and I are getting underway to go hike Dog Mountain today! This is a challenging hike on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, about an hour's drive from our home. 

The hike is famous for lots of things...beautiful views of the Gorge and surrounding mountains, gorgeous wildflowers in the spring, and a thigh-busting steep trail. Oh, my... I haven't hiked it in years, but Mark and I decided we are fit enough to go for it. 

I pulled these two photos from the internet, but I'll come back to The Skinny this evening and post some photos from our hike, with an update on how we do. The photos give you a sense of how amazingly beautiful (and amazingly steep) this place is.

Here's a quick recap of the goals I set for myself last week. I did better on some than on others.

1. Keep a food diary

2. Visualize my stomach the size of a fist

3. Learn how to run

Keep a food diary

I wanted this to be super simple, so I used an empty check book "stub book." It's skinny and fits easily into my purse, it's free, and it already has lines and columns in it. I tracked food for four days, and then I kind of...um...stopped. So I definitely need to get going on this goal again, because I really do think it helped. 

The funny thing is that I didn't always even bother to go to an online calorie website to look up how many calories in something. Just the fact of writing the foods down helped. There were some evenings that I was tempted to have a little snack, but I'd think, "Is it worth the bother of writing it down?" ... Lazy me, the answer was usually no, so I'd end up not snacking after all. 

Even on the days I didn't do so well with writing in the food diary, just knowing that it was sitting there in my purse made me eat less. So for those of you who have been holding off on keeping a food diary because it's too complicated, I'm here to tell you that even a simple one can help.

Visualize my stomach the size of a fist

This was the goal I did best with. Choosing portion sizes with a fist-sized stomach in mind really helped me keep the portion sizes reasonable, and I was less likely to go back for seconds, or to mindlessly snack. Prior to learning about the true size of my stomach, I'd always imagined it to be a something like the size of a cantaloup. Getting this new visual image in my head has made it easier for me to make good eating choices.

Learn how to run

I didn't do as well on this goal as I wanted, but I did make some progress. Mark and I didn't get back to the track, but I talked with one of the track coaches at the high school where I teach, and she gave me some pointers. (Alternate walking and running - a good cardiovascular workout, and good for building bone density. There's no shame in running for a while and then walking for a while.) On Thursday afternoon I walked for a mile up a gentle grade, and I alternated walking and running for a mile uphill! Wow, I felt so good---my body actually wanted to run! So this is another goal that I want to keep trying to get better at. I think the little bit of running I've done this week has helped to rev up my metabolism.